Flare Tutorial
Note: This tutorial is for advanced users. Proceed with caution
This is a flare tutorial, to create icons that shine.
Note how I used the sword in this picture to my own advantage. The light flares off the sword, like it would in real life.
Step 1: Create your icon.
Disclaimer: Do not just crop an icon and call it a day. Spend some time on it, make it pretty. Make it look good without having any animations, so that the effect does what it's supposed to - adds flair. So make sure that is effect suits your icon, don't use this effect to do anything other than to enhance your graphics. It will look out of place otherwise.
First, find yourself a suitable picture, and make it into an icon. Put some effort into your base, because if you're going to put the effort into animating the icon, make it worth it. For this particular effect, you'll want something having to do with swords, armor, water, anything that would make a flare in real life.
Step 2: Lens Flare
Once you've finished your icon, flatten all layers, and create a second, new layer. Fill it with black, and then set the blend mode to screen. This will render the layer invisible.
Then, go up to your menu bar to the Filters. You'll want to go to Filter , Render, Lense Flare. A pop up window will appear, input these settings
Brightness: 100%
Flare Center: (put it in the center)
Lense Type: 105mm Prime
Then click okay. You will have a flare over your icon, in the center of the image. Obviously, this isn't necessarily where you'll want it. Using the Move tool, you can move the flare layer over where you want it to be. Save as Flare001.jpg and proceed as many times as desired, gradually moving the flare along the desired surface. For the first and last flares, you'll probably want to use flares at 50% or 75% for a blended effect.
Step Three: Animating the icon
Once you're done making the frames, go back to AS3, and go to File; New. A window will come up. Set as 100 x 100, and it doesn't matter which canvas type you pick. A blank icon will come up, with the canvas frame you picked selected. DELETE IT. If you don't, it will mess with your animation.
When you've deleted the frame, it should be totally blank Go up to the menu bar, and go to Animation; Insert frames; From File.A pop up will appear with a blank list. Click on the Add File... button, and the file browser will appear. You can select all your frames at once, but you must select backwards, or your animation will run backwards. It other words, since there are 15 frames, select 15 first, hold down your CTRL button, and then select the first one. They will all be selected, and all in their proper order. Click okay to go back to the frame adder window, and click okay when you're done
If you want to see what your animation looks like, go to the menu bar and click View; Animation. If it's too fast/too slow, you'll have to change the frame rate. Go to Edit; Select all, and then right click in the selected area and choose Frame Properties. A prompt will appear with the Display time variables. Chose something between 8-12. I usually go with 10 ^^
If your end result is too large, there's a note on crunching here.
This is a flare tutorial, to create icons that shine.
Note how I used the sword in this picture to my own advantage. The light flares off the sword, like it would in real life.
Step 1: Create your icon.
Disclaimer: Do not just crop an icon and call it a day. Spend some time on it, make it pretty. Make it look good without having any animations, so that the effect does what it's supposed to - adds flair. So make sure that is effect suits your icon, don't use this effect to do anything other than to enhance your graphics. It will look out of place otherwise.
First, find yourself a suitable picture, and make it into an icon. Put some effort into your base, because if you're going to put the effort into animating the icon, make it worth it. For this particular effect, you'll want something having to do with swords, armor, water, anything that would make a flare in real life.
Step 2: Lens Flare
Once you've finished your icon, flatten all layers, and create a second, new layer. Fill it with black, and then set the blend mode to screen. This will render the layer invisible.
Then, go up to your menu bar to the Filters. You'll want to go to Filter , Render, Lense Flare. A pop up window will appear, input these settings
Brightness: 100%
Flare Center: (put it in the center)
Lense Type: 105mm Prime
Then click okay. You will have a flare over your icon, in the center of the image. Obviously, this isn't necessarily where you'll want it. Using the Move tool, you can move the flare layer over where you want it to be. Save as Flare001.jpg and proceed as many times as desired, gradually moving the flare along the desired surface. For the first and last flares, you'll probably want to use flares at 50% or 75% for a blended effect.
Step Three: Animating the icon
Once you're done making the frames, go back to AS3, and go to File; New. A window will come up. Set as 100 x 100, and it doesn't matter which canvas type you pick. A blank icon will come up, with the canvas frame you picked selected. DELETE IT. If you don't, it will mess with your animation.
When you've deleted the frame, it should be totally blank Go up to the menu bar, and go to Animation; Insert frames; From File.A pop up will appear with a blank list. Click on the Add File... button, and the file browser will appear. You can select all your frames at once, but you must select backwards, or your animation will run backwards. It other words, since there are 15 frames, select 15 first, hold down your CTRL button, and then select the first one. They will all be selected, and all in their proper order. Click okay to go back to the frame adder window, and click okay when you're done
If you want to see what your animation looks like, go to the menu bar and click View; Animation. If it's too fast/too slow, you'll have to change the frame rate. Go to Edit; Select all, and then right click in the selected area and choose Frame Properties. A prompt will appear with the Display time variables. Chose something between 8-12. I usually go with 10 ^^
If your end result is too large, there's a note on crunching here.